AB charging 10E for credit card payment?
 

I was booking my first paid flight on AB in a while last night as I'm using to using Avios, and when it came to payments if I wanted to use my Chase card (or any other credit card for that matter) there was a 10 Euro up charge. Is that something new or has that always been around? It's a shame not to get 3x points per dollar spent on this with the CSR credit card, but for the 10E it just doesn't add up. But then again, I'm also giving up the travel insurance benefits offered by my credit card. What do you guys think? Is the 10 euros a small price to pay for the points and benefits? Or would you just skip it as well?

Also, with BA Silver when booking an award ticket, I was always given one of the nicer seats in row 4, or 5 which I could select when booking. With a cash ticket, I have to pay for this option regardless of status. Is this because it's not an award ticket?

Thanks all.

That's up to you and also depends on how much you're paying for the flight. I'd be prepared to pay a €10 credit card surcharge on a €1000 flight, but not on a €100 flight. Personally, I tend to (begrudgingly) pay with Sofort.

It'll be because you're in one of the cheaper booking classes, but don't bother. Rows 2–4 will open up when you check in online (but strangely not 5–13 or wherever the exit is) and I've always been able to get a seat there. Just double-check that you've picked "Executive Club" when you check in, for some reason their check-in form is convinced that mine is really a topbonus number.

It's already been around for a number of years.

Why is that? Your loss would be 10 Eur in either case. Classical example of the Weber-Fechner law in action ;).

Hint: buy from a travel agent that doesn't charge a credit card fee for your preferred type of credit card.

Not quite.

Paying by credit card will generally:

(1) provide you with travel insurance
(2) give you a 1%-2% kickback
(of course depending on the CC used)

So the willingness to pay the obnoxious 10Euros CC fee is highly dependent on the ticket price.